Background to the Grootvadersbosch Conservancy

The Grootvadersbosch Conservancy is a non-profit trust that promotes conservation on private land in the Grootvadersbosch valley. The Conservancy is a separate entity to the, Cape Nature managed, Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve. The Grootvadersbosch Conservancy consists of 35 000ha of private land, surrounding the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve and Boosmansbos Wildernes Area. The conservancy includes three private nature reserve. The private landowners work together on a range of projects, including alien clearing, fire management, eco-tourism, environmental education and trail building.

Terrestrial Ecosystems

The Grootvadersbosch Conservancy includes three main vegetation types, namely: fynbos, afromontane forest and lowland vegetation (including Renosterveld and Silcrete Fynbos). Of these areas, the Renosterveld is the most critically endangered. The lowland vegetation is mainly threatened by the expansion of agricultural activities, over-grazing of veld and incorrect fire regimes.

The Grootvadersbosch area has large areas of Southern Cape Afromontane forest, estimated at roughly 760 ha (Olivier, 2011). The forests are confined to fire and wind sheltered sites with year-round moisture (Grootvadersbosch Conservancy management plan). The forests are home to many species, including a variety of bird species. The Grootvadersbosch Conservancy is classified by Birdlife Africa as an Important Bird Area. The forest patches in the conservancy are home to several endemic birds, including Forest Buzzard (Buteo trizonatus), Knysna Woodpecker (Campethera notate), Knysna Warbler (Bradypterus sylvaticus) and Forest Canary (Crithagrascotop)s. Other forest species, some of which are at the western limit of their distribution, include Olive Bush-Shrike (Chlorophoneus olivaceus), Narina Trogon (Apaloderma narina) and African Crowned Eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus) (Birdlife Africa, 2011). The forest is also home to an endemic butterfly, (charaxes xiphares xiphares subsp, occidentalis) which has been declared a protected wild animal. In addition, the Cape ghost frog (Heleophyme purcelli orientalis) is endemic to the conservancy forests (Michell, 1995).

The Duiwenhoeks Catchment is classified as a National Fresh Water Ecosystem Priority Areas and should be considered a priority area for protection of the provisioning ecosystem services of the river. River FEPAs are often tributaries that support hard-working mainstem rivers, and are an essential part of an equitable and sustainable water resource strategy (Nel et al, 2011). The wetlands clusters in the Conservancy are considered to be FEPA priority wetlands in terms of biodiversity importance. Furthermore, the status of wetlands is in the area is considered to be critically endangered or endangered.

Past Projects of the Grootvadersbosch Conservancy

In 1995, a logo was developed for the conservancy. This is the basis of the Grootvadersbosch Conservancy Road signs that illustrate the western and eastern approach to the conservancy. In 2015 a new logo was launched.

The Grootvadersbosch Conservancy engaged with Working for Water to support the release of a biological control agent for blackwood and budgweed. Further releases of biological control for black wattle are now being initiated.

Grootvadersbosch Conservancy members work with the Overberg Lowlands Conservation Trust to ensure that correct fire management and grazing activities take place to protect fragmented Silcrete and Renosterveld vegetation

The Grootvadersbosch Conservancy is currently working with Hessequa Municipality to expand and improve mountain bike trails in the area.

Since 2011, an annual 2-day trail run has been organized within the Grootvadersbosch Conservancy. The trail run has grown in popularity and is now considered one of the most popular in the Western Cape.

In the past, a Bushbuck monitoring system was implemented to monitor habitat preference and population density and structure

In 2012, the Grootvadersbosch Conservancy engaged with the Landmark foundation to monitor the leopards in the Langeberg Mountain range. This included the placing of cameras and the collection of data from tracking collars.